Biology final study guide – Flashcards
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biotic
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something that is living, was once living, or comes from something living
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abiotic
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nonliving, physical features of the environment, including air, water, sunlight, soil, temperature, and climate
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nitrification
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the process by which nitrites and nitrates are produced by bacteria in the soil
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carbon cycle
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the circulation and reutilization of carbon atoms especially via the process of photosynthesis and respiration.
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tundra
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Treeless arctic or alpine biome characterized by cold, harsh winters, a short growing season, and potential for frost any month of the year; vegetation includes low-growing perennial plants, mosses and lichens
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Tiaga
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has long severe winters and short cool summers. temperature only reaches 50 degrees F. Recieves 20 inches of percipatation per year (mostly snow) it has pine trees, spruses, fir trees, conifer trees, moose, wolves, and deer.
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Temperate decidous forest
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characterized by trees that lose all of their leaves in the fall, characterized by hardwood trees, and broad leaved trees and shrubs
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Temperate grasslands
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too dry for forests, too moist for deserts, grasses and other flowering plants, wild horses, asses, and antelope, bison, kangaroos, antelopes, and other large herbivores
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Deserts
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dry areas where precipitation is less than 30cm a year, succulent plants (cactus) and scattered grasses
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Savannas
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a region of grassland with scattered trees lying between the equatorial forest and the hot deserts in either hemisphere.
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Tropical Rainforest
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In this biome it rains almost everyday. Temperatures are high with little difference between day and night temperatures. There are more organisms living here than anywhere else on Earth.
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Archaebacteria
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bacteria that live under extreme conditions such as: high temperature, high salt content, and low oxygen, considered to be the most ancient organisms on the planet,
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Eubacteria
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known as "true bacteria", largest of the two bacterial kingdoms, contains disease causing bacteria
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viruses
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tiny non-living particles , smaller than bacteria and other pathogens, which must invade living cells in order to reproduce; when they invade, the cells are damaged or destroyed in the process releasing new particles to infect other cells
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cells
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The basic unit of all living things
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vertebrates
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animals with a backbone
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invertebrates
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Animals without backbones
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Linnaeus
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called founder of modern taxonomy; Invented binomial nomenclature
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taxonomy
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practice of classifying plants and animals according to their presumed natural relationships
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binomial nominclature
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the system of naming organisms by using their genus species classifications.
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Kingdom
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First and largest category used to classify organisms
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Phylum or division
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major classification, second to kingdom, of plants and animals; category ranking below a kingdom and above a class; division
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Class
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in a traditional taxonomic system, the category contained within a phylum or division and containing orders
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order
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taxonomic group containing one or more families
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Family
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In classification, the taxonomic category above genus.
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Genus
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a classification grouping that contains similar, closely related organisms, contains 1 or more species.
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Species
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a group of organisms so similar to one another that they can breed and produce fertile offspring
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Phylogeny
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(biology) the sequence of events involved in the evolutionary development of a species or taxonomic group of organisms
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Protista
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eukaryotic one-celled living organisms distinct from multicellular plants and animals: protozoa, slime molds, and eukaryotic algae
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Fungi
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a kingdom of eukaryotic organisms. They are heterotrophic and digest their food externally, absorbing nutrient molecules into their cells. Yeasts, molds, and mushrooms are examples.
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Plantae
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a classification kingdom made up of eukaryotic, multicellular organisms that have cell walls made mostly of cellulose, that have pigments that absorb light, and that supply energy and oxygen to themselves and to other life-forms through photosynthesis
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Animalia
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Kingdom of the most complex organisms; multi-cellular, heterotrophic, lack rigid cell walls, mobile, tissues in internal organs, sensory organs, nervous system
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Ecology
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scientific study of interactions among organisms and between organisms and their environment
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organism
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a living thing that has (or can develop) the ability to act or function independently
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population
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a group of organisms of the same species populating a given area
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community
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(ecology) a group of interdependent organisms inhabiting the same region and interacting with each other
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ecosystem
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a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment
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biosphere
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the regions of the surface and atmosphere of the Earth (or other planet) where living organisms exist
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limiting factors
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any biotic or abiotic factor that restricts the existence, numbers, reproduction, or distribution of organisms, ex. carrying capacity of land, disease, population density, population distribution
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commensilism
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a symbiotic relationship that benifits one organism without harming the other
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mutualism
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symbiotic relationship in which both species benefit from the relationship
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parasitism
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the relation between two different kinds of organisms in which one receives benefits from the other by causing damage to it (usually not fatal damage)
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predation
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interaction in which one organism captures and feeds on another organism, usually killing the prey.
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Primary succession
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an ecological succession that begins in a an area where no biotic community previously existed
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Secondary succession
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Sequence of community changes that take place after a community is disrupted by natural disasters or human actions.
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Climax community
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a relatively stable long-lasting community reached in a successional series; usually determined by climax and soil type
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Primary producer
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An autotroph, usually a photosynthetic organism. Collectively, autotrophs make up the trophic level of an ecosystem that ultimately supports all other levels.
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Primary consumer
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An herbivore; an organism in the trophic level of an ecosystem that eats plants or algae
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Secondary consumer
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Organism that feeds only on primary consumers.
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tertiary consumer
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a member of the trophic level of an ecosystem consisting of carnivores that eat mainly other carnivores.
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autotroph
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organism that can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds; also called a producer
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heterotroph
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organism that obtains energy from the foods it consumes; also called a consumer
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comsumer
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an organism that eats other organisms or organic matter instead of producing its own nutrients or obtaining nutrients from inorganic sources
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producer
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an organism that makes its own food
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decomposer
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organism that breaks down the wastes or remains of other organisms
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Water cycle
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the continuous process by which water moves from Earth's surface to the atmosphere and back
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Transpiration
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the emission of water vapor from the leaves of plants
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condensation
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the process by which molecules of water vapor in the air become liquid water
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runoff
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water that flows over the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground
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Precipitation
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the falling to earth of any form of water (rain or snow or hail or sleet or mist)
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Evaporation
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the process by which water changes from liquid form to an atmospheric gas
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Nitrification
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the process by which nitrites and nitrates are produced by bacteria in the soil
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nitrogen fixation
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The assimilation of atmospheric nitrogen by certain bacteria into nitrogenous compounds that can be directly used by plants.
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Ammonification
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the formation of ammonia compounds in the soil by the action of bacteria on decaying matter
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Denitrification
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process in which fixed nitrogen compounds are converted back into nitrogen gas and returned to the atmosphere
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Cellular respiration
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the process by which cells obtain energy from carbohydrates; atmospheric oxygen combines with glucose to form water and carbon dioxide
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Photosynthesis
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process where organisms use the suns energy, carbondioxide, and water to produce oxygen and glucose.
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Notochord
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A longitudinal rod of cells that forms in the least developed chordates and in embryonic stages of more developed chordates.
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Chordates
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comprises true vertebrates and animals having a notochord, the group of animals that have a notochord at some point in their lives.
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Segmentation
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Division of an animal body along its length into a series of repeated parts called segments
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Arthropod
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invertebrate having jointed limbs and a segmented body with an exoskeleton made of chitin
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Gestation
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the period during which an embryo develops (about 266 days in humans)
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Anterior
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of or near the head end or toward the front plane of the body(top)
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Posterior
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tail end of bilaterally symmetric animals (bottom)
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Ventral
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toward or on or near the belly (front of a primate or lower surface of a lower animal)
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Dorsal
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belonging to or on or near the back or upper surface of an animal or organ or part
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Bilaterial Symetry
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the animal can be divided into two halves. Most of the organs and organ systems are on either side of the midline.
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Radial Symetry
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body plan which animals bod are organized in a circle around a central axis
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Hermaphrodite
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individual that has both male and female reproductive organs
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Gastrulation
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In animal development, a series of cell and tissue movements in which the blastula-stage embryo folds inward, producing a three-layered embryo, the gastrula.
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The 3 germ layers
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endoderm, mesoderm, ectoderm
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Endoderm
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the inner germ layer that develops into the lining of the digestive and respiratory systems
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Mesoderm
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the middle germ layer that develops into muscle and bone and cartilage and blood and connective tissue
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ectoderm
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the outer germ layer that develops into skin and nervous tissue
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Characteistics of the skeletal system
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aids in movement, provides structure, produces blood cells
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characteristics of respiratory system
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gas exchange, responsible for maintaining blood oxygen levels
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Trachea
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carries air between larynx and bronchi
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bronchi
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two short branches located at the lower end of the trachea that carry air into the lungs.
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Aveoli
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tiny air chambers in the lungs that allow gases to be exchanged between the air and blood
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Diaphram
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large, flat muscle at the bottom of the chest cavity that helps with breathing
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characteristics of the digestive system
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mechanically and chemically digest food, breaks down food into smaller molecules that are usuable to other cells in the body
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Mouth
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along with teeth begins the mechanical part of digestion
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Cephalization
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the concentration of sensory and brain structures in the anterior end of the animal
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Digestive system
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body system the breaks down food and absorbs nutrients
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respiratory system
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system responsible for taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide using the lungs
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endoskeleton
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internal skeleton or supporting framework in an animal
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exoskeleton
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the exterior protective or supporting structure or shell of many animals (especially invertebrates) ex. insects, crawfish
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stomach
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large muscular sac that continues the mechanical and chemical digestion of food
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small intestine
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The part of the digestive system in which most chemical digestion takes place
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Liver
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organ that makes bile to break down fats; also filters poisons and drugs out of the blood
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Gallbladder
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a muscular sac attached to the liver that secretes bile and stores it until needed for digestion
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Pancreas
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a triangular organ that produces enzymes that flow into the small intestine
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Large intestine
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beginning with the cecum and ending with the rectum, the last section of the digestive system, where water is absorbed from food and the remaining material is eliminated from the body
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systems that make up the excretory system
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respiratory, digestive, urinary, Integumentary
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Nervous system
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made up of the brain and spinal cord
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Cerebrum
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the lobes of the brain that integrate sensory information and coordinate the creature's response to that information
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Cerebellum
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the "little brain" attached to the rear of the brainstem; its functions include processing sensory input and coordinating movement output and balance
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Medula Oblongata
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part of brain stem connecting brain to spinal cord, controls respiration and heartbeat